EXCLUSIVE: FORCES AGAINST DUMO LULU-BRIGGS’ GUBER AMBITION IN RIVERS

DumoUpwardly mobile businessman Dumo Lulu Briggs who is setting the stage to emerge as the APC guber-candidate for the 2019 elections in Rivers state -might just be holding on tight to the straws afterall; the forces stacked against him are tremendous and seemingly unsurmountable. News of The People magazine went to town and serve you this exclusive serial dish, on the forth coming Rivers state Guber politics, like no other medium can. Every attempt to reach Dumo Lulu Briggs, for his own side by our reporters met with a brick wall.

THE APC FACTOR
Dumo lulu briggs cross-carperted to the APC after the 2017 elections won by Nyesom Wike, a formidable grassroot mobilizer, it was a move that surprised many. Dumo had been a faithful PDP member and supporter for many years. The reason for that move according to sources was that he percieved that he had no future in the PDP as Wike, an uplander would definitely go for a second term come 2019 and he would have no place there hence the ship jumping.
He jumped aboard the APC ship hoping for a soft landing but he forgot that there were already established candidates on ground in this ship. Peterside, a former commissioner and close chum of State party leader Rotimi Ameachi, who was appointed D.G of NIMASA and sources say has been amassing a war chest for the 2019 guber elections.
Dakuku and his supporters in the party will be disappointed if the ticket goes to Dumo, a newcomer to the party, these forces will defintely make moves against him. A source revealed:
“Dumo wants to reap where he did not sow, it just wont work; he is an interloper and an usurper in the party “.
The Senator Magnus Factor
In Rivers politics, Senator Magnus Abe has been labelled as an Amaechi faithful; they have been friends for over two decades-starting out as members of Gov Peter Odili’s Kitchen cabinet and later serving as SSG to Ameachi for close to eight years.
Magnus Abe’s ambition to contest for the APC guber ticket has pitched him against Ameachi who has vowed to deal with him and cut him to size should he go ahead and contest in the elections against him and his candidate. Ameachi’s calculation is to give the APC guber ticket to Dumo who is a Riverrine candidate thereby pitching him against Wike who is an uplander- recall that the uplanders have ruled Rivers State for over 16 years.
Magnus Abe is also an uplander from the Ogoni tribe and he has the solid backing of his people, the Ogoni’s who feel strongly that it is time for them to produce a governor in Rivers stare. Already the Ogonis are feeling aggrieved that Ameachi sacrificed their son and his faithful friend on the altar of politics. An insider disclosed:
“Ameachi is a mean soul, we are waiting for him amd his candidate. I can assure you that the APC in Ogoni will not vote for Dumo Lulu Briggs, we would rather take our votes to another party.”
THE ATEKE TOM FACTOR
A Couple of weeks ago Dumo lulu Briggs was part of a rally to support the continued retention of SARS, not only in Rivers State, but all over Nigeria. Seemingly it was simply a matter of supporting the police to continue to do their job despite allegations of corruption and high handedness by the SARS team all over the country. But there were also political undertones. Gov Wike was an advocate for the abolition of SARS and so naturally Amaechi and his boys of which Dumo is a part were for it’s retention. The rally was therefore organised and well funded. That brought Dumo in direct confrontation with the ex militant HRM Ateke Tom, who is an ally of Gov Nyesom Wike and presently Amayanabo of Okochiri kingdom. During the rally, a barner was carried by some boys promoting Ateke Tom in bad light. Ateke, who now wears the toga of a peace maker in the Niger Delta with great success, sees this as a personal affront and attack on his person and office in a time of peace and without any provocation whatsoever. The Okochiri community has protested this attack and sources say they are considering legal action. Ateke as a person is livid and close sources say the mans anger is unpredictable. So far attempts by Dumo’s camp to make right the wrong has been rebuffed. They say words are not enough, Dumo and his group will need to organise another rally and carry around another barner to paint Ateke in positive light and promote same in the national and local media. This according to sources is a tough call. Amaechi, Dumo’s leader will never accept that as he sees Ateke as a nobody. And as long as this matter remains unresolved, Dumo sources say might not be able to campaign for governorship in Orkirika, Ateke’s domain. ” Dumo needs the Orkrika vote and if he can not come here to campaign, he is in trouble”.

Baggage Of His Father
Dumo Lulu Briggs, is a Kalabari from Abonema, a riverine community. His kinsmen have been clamouring for the governorship and they have a fair chance this time around to clinch it through the APC. Truth be told, Dumo is an extremely likeable person, he is wealthy and has done well in business; he is also widely acclaimed as a philantropist of repute.
His major drawback amongst his home base is his father’s enemies who will also be hostile to him as well. Dumo’s father is the super wealthy Chief O.B. Lulu Briggss who drills over 30,000 barrels of crude oil daily. This money has set him at loggerhead with his community leader and fellow chiefs and elders because of his desire to impose himself on the Abonema community.
Recently the paramount ruler of Abonema visited Governor Wike alongside some chiefs to report the attrocities of Chief O.B Lulu Briggs to him, they alleged he stormed the community with soldeirs from Abuja and policemen to install himself as Regent of Abonema and deposit the Amadabo of Abonema-this was reportedly truncated by youths in the community.
A youth representative said;
“Lulu Brigss thinks he can buy us with his money but he has failed. He should get lost. Believe me nobody here will vote for Dumo, he is a nice guy, but the sins of his father would defenitely rub off in him.”
Even the Amadabo will vehemently campaign against Dumo because he knows that if he wins, Briggs would hurriedly dispose of him and set up his father or one of his many cronies in his stead.
A reliable source revealed this:
“Dumo believes people would conveniently forget his father’s many sins when he starts dishing out money but he is mistaken. He is wasting his time and his money, he can not even win the House of Assembly election in Abonema and he knows it-even Ameachi cant help him.
The Dumo Factor
Another reason why Dumo might not clinch the APC guber ticket is his alleged secret reckless lifestyle of gambling with his friends. An insider revealed:
“He is an impulsive card player, a gambler, the issue is that how can we the Rivers People put such a figure as our Governor. No way- he is on his own!”
Next Week
Why his father will not support his ambition and his father’s grudges against him.
Plus…..
why Dumo Lulu Briggs was kicked out as MD of Moni Pulo Ltd, the dirty details nobody else can tell you.
-By Mosun Usman